'Huge' pressure for Shanghai to stay Covid-free as lockdown end nears

Health authorities in Shanghai faced "huge" pressure to keep China's most populous city free of COVID-19 as residents were counting down the days until June 1 when their lockdown is set to end after almost two months of isolation.

The commercial hub of 25 million achieved a fourth consecutive day without any new infections in the community, holding on to its prized "zero COVID" status and keeping alive hopes for an imminent end to lockdown misery.

Despite no new cases, authorities are not lifting the lockdown immediately, instead gradually easing restrictions until the start of next month, with some shops allowed to